Railway car



March 19, 1963 J. A. szczl-:PANIK RAILWAY CAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJune 9, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RAILWAY CAR `.1. A. szczl-:PANIK F IG.4

March 19, 1963 Filed June 9, 1959 iteri ttes tet 3,081,716 RAILWAY CAR.lohn A. Szczepaniir, Brooklyn, N.Y., assigner to ACF IndustriesIncorporated, New York, NX., a corporation of New Jersey Filed .lune 9,1959, Ser. No. 319,166 12 Claims. (Cl. 10S-416) The present inventionrelates to the provision of a low level decl; in la railway car,particularly in a railway car for transporting road vehicles. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to a novel center sill in a railwaycar positioned so that its entire upper sur-face is disposed in a planeat or below the center of buff force received at the ends of the oar.

The height of a railway car coupler above the top of the rail is one ofthe invariable dimensions in all standard railroad equipment. Thecoupler must be mounted within a gear housing at the end of the railwaycar so that the longitudinal 'axis of the coupler shank is 341/2 inchesabove the top level of the rails, or within very slight tolerancesthereof. Normally, the center sill of a railway car is disposed toreceive the impact of buiI forces irnparted to the gears associated withthe couplers. In order to present great strength and ability to absorbthese but forces without bowing or buckling of the center sill, it hasbeen necessary, in cars having center sills extending between andabutting the gear housings to directly receive buff forces, to have theneutral axis of the center sill lying in a plane slightly above orslightly below the center of buil force, that is, above or below thehorizontal axes of the couplers.

Several problems result from this relationship between the placement ofthe center sill and its absorbing of buff forces. For instance, in thetransportation of truck. trailers, it has been necessary to drop thefloor of a flat car on either side of the center sill to accommodate theheight of various trailers through tunnels. The projection of the centersill above the lowered floor presents an obstruction for the utilizationof various trailer front end securing devices or hitches which, evenwhen in a retracted position, may -add seven or eight inches of heightabove the center sill.

As there may not be -rnore than eight inches of projection from thetloor of a car over which trailers are to be driven, it is an object ofthis invention to present a at deck for the trailer upon which trailersecuring devices may be secured -without offering -any obstruction to atrailer or tractor under-carriage while the trailer is lbeing drivenover the car door. Similarly, it is an object of this invention topesent a lowered deck to enable the at car and trailer to negotiatetunnels with low head clearances.

Gne of the problems involved in providing a low level deck for railwaycars is that the center line of the draft and buli rigging will besubstantially above the horizontal median line of the underframestructure. A a result, butt forces will tend to misshapen the structureat the end zones where the center sill and other reinforcingstructurecannot be allowed a great deal of depth due to the support of the carupon the trucks. Furthermore, when trailers are transported on suchcars, the shifting Weight of the trailer will impart various forces ofgreat magnitude upon the center of the end zone of the car where thetrailer is secured to the floor. It is therefore a further object ofthis invention to impart great strength to the end zones of the car ofthe invention within the vertical limits between the truck and the oorof the car.

Other advantages will become obvious to those skilled in the -art upon areading of this specication with references to the drawings which form apart hereof.

In general, the objects of the invention are accomplished by providing arailway car underframe having a center sill which, because of its crosssectional dimensions, has its neutral axis close to its top surface. Thetop surface of the sill is made to lie in a plane at or below the centerof buil forces received at the ends of the car. In this manner, a flat:car for transporting trailers may be given a ilat deck six or seveninches below the top of the gear housings, which is low enough Vfortunnel clearances and which permits the utilization of retractabletrailer hitches which can be `driven over readily without obstruction tothe trailer or trailer tractor.

In the railway car of the present invention there is provided novel sideplates or webs on either side of the center sill which extend past theends 0f the center sill in the end zones of the car and form the sidesof the gear housings which lie above the top surface of the center sill.The plates further provide anchorage or integral connections forunderframe structure supporting means and for floor support means whichare made to extend with the plates in the end zones of the car. Forinstance, floor supporting Aangle members having relatively widehorizontal flanges me rn-ade to run longitudinally of the car in the endzones substantially coextensive with the side plates. The integralinterrelation of the side plates, the supporting means and the centersill having its neutral axis near its top, produces strong end zones,particularly for a car having its deck entirely below the center of buffforces.

Referring now to the drawings:

FlGURE 1 is a plan view, partly `broken away and partly in section, ofthe top of a railway at car embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away and partly in section,of the r-ailway car shown in FIGURE l, the left side of which is takenIalong the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation, partly broken away and partly in section,of the center sill used in the car of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 shows `a section taken along the line 4 4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 shows a section taken along the line 5 5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 shows a section taken along the line 6--6 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 7 shows a section taken along the line 7 7 of FIGURE 1.

Indicated at 10 in FIGURE 1 is a railway at car for transporting roadvehicles having end sills 12 at each end of the car comprising two beamsat each end in horizontal and transverse spaced relation. The end sillsare connected at their outer ends by longitudinally disposed side sills13. Gear housings, indicated at 14, are mounted centrally at each endsill and connect the inner ends of the end sill beams. Coupler members15, one of which is shown only in FIGURE 2, are mounted within thehousings at standard height.

The side sills 13 are formed of outwardly opening C- bearns. The upperpart of the side sills are cut olf at the ends where they join the endsills and present an L-shaped cross section as seen in FIGURES l and 4.The upper part of each C-beam Side sill is used as a wheel guide formotor vehicles and in the car shown provides support for an anchor orkeeper strip, indicated at 16, for hooks 17, shown in FIGURES 6 and 7,of cargo sway chains. The anchor strip is provided with openings,indicated at 18 in FIGURE 2, longitudinally spaced along the strip forthe passage through of the hooks around the retainer bar portion 19 ofthe anchor strip. The car is also provided with sway chain pockets orretainers 20, shown in FIG- -URES 2 and 7, for stowing the chains whennot in use.

FIGURES 6 and 7 show the hooks in operative and inoperative positionrespectively and the convenient placement of the chain retainers isshown in FIGURES 2 and 7.

Each gear housing is comprised of a top plates 27 having turned downsides, a pair of .inverted U-sections 28 and 29 having anged ends andforming front and rear bottom portions of the housings respectively andside plates 31 connecting the turned down sides of the top cover `andthe end franges of the inverted U-sections. Longitudinally extendingangle members 50 provide the connections between the side plates 31 andthe bottom portions. These plates form continuous sides for the housing,extend 4from the front end of the housing inwardly of the car invertical planes and are contoured at their inner extensions to form sidewalls or webs for the center sill, indicated at 32, as shown in FIGURES2, 3, 4, and 7. These plates extend from the outer ends ofthe housingsthroughout the end zones of the car. The end zones `are defined as theportions of the car adjacent the trucks on either end of the car and areindicated in FIG- URE 2 by the bracket E. A pair of elongated verticallyoriented `draft stops 33 are disposed in horizontal and transversespaced relation adjacent the outer end of each of the housings and aresecured to opposing inner surfaces of the plates 31 inside of thehousing. A pair of elongated vertically oriented buff stops 34 aredisposed in horizontal and transverse spaced relation adjacent the innerends of each of the housings and are Secured to opposing inner surfacesof the plates 31 inside of the housing. The front end o-f the housingprovides the usual support members for the coupler, and the buff anddraft gear is disposed between the stops. The front of the housing,FIGURE 4, is reinforced with side angles 36 which connect the sideplates 31, the end sills and the top plate of the housing. Top andbottom front end pieces 38 and 39 are vertically spaced from one.another for entry and retention of the coupler which is supported upona resiliently mounted inverted U-member 4t), as shown in FIGURE 4.

The center sill 32 comprises a vertically disposed I- beam extendinglongitudinally of the car between the housings. The ends of the centersill abut the rear surfaces of the buff stops. The vertical web 42 ofthe center sill has a cut-out section, indicated at 43 in FIGURES 2 and3, at yboth ends of the center sill. The cut-out portion extends betweenthe top and bottom flanges, 44 and 45 respectively, of the center sill`and inwardly to -a point approximately mediate the end zone. The web isdiscontinued at this point for placement of the king pin sleeve 46 in.its vertical position between the two horizontal flanges. The car issupported on its trucks, not shown, at the ends of the car bytransversely disposed holsters, indicated at 47, each of which comprisestwo connected parallel beams supported at their ends by angle members 48connected to the side sills. The bolster webs and top flanges arediscontinued at the center to receive the center sill of the car .andthe truck bolster seat or bearing plate 49 interconnects the bolsterbeams and is disposed directly beneath the center sill in the path ofthe king pin sleeve `46 and the king pin aperture in the center sill.The bolster is connected to the side plates 31 on either side of thecenter sill by angle members 50. The angle members 5t) extend from theends of the car, past their bolster connection, to a position -below thevertical leg of the trailer hitch 51, shown in FIGURE 2, where a pair ofreinforcement plates 52 are vertically positioned on either side of thecenter sill between the horizontal legs of the angle member 50 and ofthe iloor supporting angle member 53.

The top lflange 44 of the center sill provides a cut-out portion,indicated at 55, at both ends of the center sill. The cut-out portion isU-sllaped land permits the gear rigging roorn for inward movement underbutt forces while at the same time the ends of the center sill adjacentthe edges of the U-shaped cut-out provide abutment against the buffstops.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the top horizontal ilangeof the center sill abuts the buh. stops substantially centrally thereofand .in the railway car shown the upper surface of the top horizontalHarige lies in a plane below the longitudinal axis, indicated at 56 inFIG- URE 2, of the coupler shank 57 but in a plane common with theshank. Gussets 41 abut the rear surface of each buf stop and the uppersurface of the top horizontal ange 44 of the center sill on either sideof the U-shaped cut-out portion and provide reinforcement against inwardmovement of the upper part of the bufrr stops under buff force.

The center sill shown is constructed in the form of a fish-belly whereinthe bottom horizontal 4flange 45 is dropped throughout the central zoneof the car and tapers upwardly at both of its ends from t-he beginningof the end zones to a point adjacent the inner sides of the holsters.IIt continues at either end in a horizontal plane to its point ofabutment with the lower ends of the bul stops. The vertical web 42 ofthe center sill co-extends with the top and -bottom `llanges frombolster to bolster and interconnects the horizontal flanges centrallythereof.

At each end of the car, on either side of the center ssill, 'oorsupporting angle members 53 are welded or otherwise secured by theirvertical segment to the outer surfaces of the side plates 31. They eachhave a comparatively wide horizontal segment ylying substantiaily in thesame plane as the upper surface of the top flange of the center sill.They extend longitudinally throughout the end zones. Also extendinglongitudinally in the end zones at each end of the car on either side ofthe center sill are floor supporting angle members 54 which are securedby the Vertical segments to the side :sills 13 on the inner surfacethereof. Each of these members `also has a horizontally disposed segmentwhich lies in theysame plane as the horizontal segments of the floorsupport members 53 attached to the side plates 31. End zone floor plates60 are secured at their sides to, and are supported upon, these supportmembers. The iioor plates extend from the ends of the car, on eitherside of the center sill, throughout the end Zones.

The Itloor plates are reinforced on their undersurface by transverselydisposed and longitudinally spaced inverted U-beams 61. 'Ihey extend ioneither side of the center sill and are connected at 'their ends to thefloor support angles 53 tand 54. The ends of their upturned legs`abuttingly support the floor plate. Longitudinalily disposed inverted`U-members 62 interconnect some of the transverse inverted U-members andprovide further abutting :support of the door with the upturned ends oftheir legs.

A pair of cross bearers, indicated at 70, are disposed transversely ofthe car on either side of the center sill at the approximate divisionline between the end zone a-nd the central zone at each end of the car.They are secured to the side sills y13A at their outer ends and 'to thebottom of the center sill and to the side plates 31 at their inner ends.A plurality of transverse cross ties 71, on either side of the centersill, are connected at their outer ends to the botom of the side sillsand at their inner ends to the central web 42 lof the center sill. Thesecross ties are disposed in longitudinal spaced relation between thecnoss bearers. The cross bearers and the cross ties provide support fora plurality` of longitudinally disposed stringers or angle members 72which are in horizontal spaced relation and run the length Kof thecentral zone of the car on either side of the center sill. Thesestringers provide support for oor planks 73, the upper sprfaces of whichare disposed in 'the same horizontal plane as the upper vsurface of thetop flange of the center sill. The oor planks, seen in FIGURES 1, 2, 6and 7, are arranged to lie transversely of the car on either Side of thecenter sill and in horizontal spaced relation.

It will be seen in FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 that the cross Sectional area ofthe top flange of the center sill is much greater than that of thebottom flange. The signicance of the difference in mass between theflanges is that the neutral axis of the center sill is raised. Thisshifting of the neutral axis effects greater strength against buffingforces at the upper portion of the center sill where it is needed andallows the lowering fof the center sill. To construct a center Sill foruse in forty to `Seventy 'ton low floor railway cans, it has beendetermined that the cross sectional area of the top ange should bebetween fifty percent and eighty-five percent greater than the crosssectional area of the bottom flange depending on the weight of the car.The greater the weight of the car, the lesser will be the difference incross sectional tarea between the flanges because the flanges will benormally larger in heavier cars but only the same amount of addedStrength will be required to lower the center sill in each instance.

Utilizing the present invention and dropping the upper Surface of thecenter Sill below the center of buff force, as much as six or seveninches can be gained for the placement of collapsible trailer hitches inthe longitudinal center `line of the car. Furthermore a completely flatdeck surface is achieved. 'Ihis surface is substantially below the topof the gear housings and is close enough to the rails so that tunnelswith low head clearances can be negotiated with large trailers beingsupported upon the lowered floor.

The positioning of the center sill entirely below the center of buff,achieved by the raising of the neutral axis of the center S-ill, isutilized in the invention to impart great strength to the end zones aswell as to produce a low level floor for a railway car. The ends of thecenter sill 32 abut the buff stops of the gear housings which in turnlie in a higher plane than the dropped center sill. The comparativelylarge masses of the top and bottom flanges 44 and 45 of the center sillprovide very great strength in the underframe of the car. As the centersills are tapered into the end zones to allow room for the trucks, addedstrength is supplied in the end zones by the side plates 3ft whichactually form integral side webs for the center sill throughout theirtapered ends. These same plates extend past the ends of the center sillto form side walls for the gear housings and have the buff stops mounteddirectly on their inner walls within the housings. Buff forces receivedat the stops will be imparted directly to the center sill and to theintegral plates. Further reinforcement of the end zones is supplied bythe Hoor supporting angles 53 which are connected by welding orotherwise to the plates 31 and which also form integral parts 4of thecenter sill throughout the end zones of the car. The bolster supporting`angles 50 are `also integrally connected to the Side plates, reinforcethe bottom and side connections of the gear housing and extendlongitudinally and inwardly through the better part of the end zones ofthe car. The relatively wide horizontal segments of the angles 53 add totheir strength :and consequently to the strength of the center sill andintegral side plates. A trailer 65, shown in FIGURE 2, produces Shiftingand twisting formes of very great magnitude through its hitch 'to thecenter sill. The oor Supporting angles 53, and angle members 50, whichSupport a part of the Weight of the trailer, and the side plates -add tothe strength of the center sill 'to dissipate these forces as well asthe buff forces. There is therefore presented by the longitudinalplacement of and the integral interrelation between the center sill, theside plates, the oor Supports and the bolster support angles, anextremely strong car structure, particularly for one having its entirefloor lying in a plane below the center of buff forces received lat theends of the car.

Various changes in the details and construction of the railroad car ofthe invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. It is therefore intended to limit the scope of theinvention only by the following claims.

What iS claimed is:

l. A railway car adapted to run on rails and having draft gear housingspositioned centrally at the ends of Said car, coupler members mountedwithin said draft gear housings and including longitudinally disposedcoupler Shanks positioned at Standard height above the rail, a centerSill portion having ends abutting said draft gear housings, Said centersill portion having a top surface lying in a plane common with saidcoupler Shanks, and floor means extending from end to end of the car andhaving a top surface lying substantially in the same plane as said topsurface of said center sill.

2. The railway car of claim l wherein Sad center sill portion has sidewebs extending lengthwise of the car at either end thereof and abovesaid iloor to form sides for said draft gear housings.

3. The railway car of claim 2 wherein said floor means includes supportmeans coextensive wi-th said side webs and are integrally connected tosaid side Webs.

4. The railway car of claim 3 wherein Said support means has ahorizontal floor supporting segment having a transverse width `andvertical thickness greater than necessary to support said floor meanswhereby greater strength to resist buff forces is imparted to saidcenter sill.

5. A railway car having draft gear housings disposed at standard heightcentrally at the ends of Said car, said draft gear housings havingelongated buff stops vertically oriented and positioned adjacent theinner ends of Said draft gear housings, a center sill portion havingends abutting said buff stops, said center sill portion having ahorizontally disposed top flange, said -top flange abutting said buffstops at either end of said car substantially centrally of said buffstops, and floor means carried by said center sill portion and extendingfrom end to end of said car and Substantially in a plane common withsaid top flange of said center Sill.

6. A truck mounted railway car comprising longitudinally disposed sidesills connected at their ends by transversely extending end sills, alongitudinally disposed center sill, a plurality of transverse framemembers connected at their outer ends -to said side sills and at theirinner ends to said center sill, draft gear housings mounted centrally atthe end sills of said car, coupler members and -associated draft gearrigging mounted within said housings at standard height, said couplermembers having longitudinally disposed Shanks, said draft gear housingsincluding buff stop means adjacent the inner ends thereof, said centersill having ends abutting said buff stop means at each end of the carand comprising a vertically disposed l-beam portion having top andbottom flanges with the top surface of the top flange lying in ahorizontal plane common with said coupler Shanks, the ends of saidl-beam portion having spaced apart vertically disposed side websconnecting the outer edges of said -top and Said bottom flanges, saidside webs extending beyond the l-beam portion on either side of saidsill to the ends of said car and forming sides for said draft gearhousing, floor Supporting means integrally connected to andsubstantially coextensive with said Side webs and extendinglongitudinally of Said car and having comparatively Wide horizontalsegments extending in the horizontal plane common with said top ange andcoupler Shanks, iioor supporting means connected to said side sills, andfloor means supported upon both Said floor Supporting means and Saidtransverse frame members, said floor means lying Substantially in thehorizontal plane common with Said top flange and coupler Shanks.

7. The railway car of claim 6 wherein said top flange of the I-beamportion of said center sill is between fifty percent and eighty-livepercent greater in cross sectional area than said bottom flange.

8. The railway car of claim 7 wherein the I-bearn portion of said centersill lies entirely below the longitudinal axes of said coupler Shanks.

9. ln a :railway car adapted to run on rails and having end sills andcenter sills the combination of, a draft gear housing located centrallyof each end sill, coupler members mounted within said draft gearhousings, buff stop means secured within said draft gear housingadjacent their inner ends said coupler members having Shanks with thelongitudinal axes thereof disposed at standard height above the rails, acenter sill portion extending between said buff stops and having itsends abutting the buff stop means of the draft gear housings, saidcenter sill portion having a top tiange extending the longitudinallength of said center sill portion and abutting said buff stop meanssubstantially centrally thereof.

10. ln a railway car'described in claim 9 wherein said center sillportion has the top surface of the top ange lying in a plane common withthe coupler Shanks.

11. ln -a railway car adapted to run on rails and having end sills and acenter sill, the combination of, draft gear housings centrally locatedon each end sill, coupler members mounted within said draft gearhousings at either end of the car, buff stop means secured within eachdraft gear housing adjacent the inner ends thereof, said coupler membershaving Shanks with the longitudinal axes of their shanks disposed at`standard height above the rail, :a center ysill portion having its endsabutting said buff stop means of the draft gear housings said centersill portion comprising :a vertically disposed I-beam having a topflange extending longitudinally of the car between g the draft gearhousings and secured to the buff stop means substantially Centrallythereof.

12. In a railway car adapted to run on rails and having end ysills and acenter sill, the combination of, draft gear housing centrally located oneach end sill, coupler members mounted within said draft gear housingsat either end of the car, buff stop means secured within each draft gearhousing adjacent the inner ends thereof, said couplers having Shankswith the longitudinal axes of their Shanks disposed at standard heightabove the rail, a center sill portion having its ends abutting andsecured -t-o the buff stop means of the draft gear housings andcomprising a vertically disposed Lbeam lying entirely below the axes ofthe coupler Shanks, said I-beam having top and bottom flanges with thecross section of the top flange being substantially greater in area thanthe cross section of the bottom flange to thereby better withstand buffforces imposed on said coupler members.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,801,332 Clasen et al Apr. 21, 1931 2,180,450 Tatun Nov. 21, 19392,246,543 Smith June 24, 1941 2,635,559 Nystrom etal Apr. 21, 19532,782,733 Ewing Feb. 26, 1957 2,803,353 Meyer et al Aug. 20, 19572,837,037 Holmberg lune 3, 1958 2,851,963 Sheehan Sept. 16, 1958 FOREIGNPATENTS 1,175,883 France Nov. 17, 1958

1. A RAILWAY CAR ADAPTED TO RUN ON RAILS AND HAVING DRAFT GEAR HOUSINGSPOSITIONED CENTRALLY AT THE ENDS OF SAID CAR, COUPLER MEMBERS MOUNTEDWITHIN SAID DRAFT GEAR HOUSINGS AND INCLUDING LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSEDCOUPLER SHANKS POSITIONED AT STANDARD HEIGHT ABOVE THE RAIL, A CENTERSILL PORTION HAVING ENDS ABUTTING SAID DRAFT GEAR HOUSINGS, SAID CENTERSILL PORTION HAVING A TOP SURFACE LYING IN A PLANE COMMON WITH SAIDCOUPLER SHANKS, AND FLOOR MEANS EXTENDING FROM END TO END OF THE CAR ANDHAVING A TOP SURFACE LYING SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE SAME PLANE AS SAID TOPSURFACE OF SAID CENTER SILL.